The present system and method relate generally to vehicle vibration diagnostics. In particular, the present system and method relate to evaluating and reporting possible vibration sources in a vehicle.
Vibration problems are a significant source of premature component failure, ride degradation, and noise in devices such as vehicles and industrial equipment (collectively “vehicles”). Users often replace damaged components rather than investigate the potentially ongoing root cause of the damaged component. Without addressing the root cause(s) of the component damage, the same damage is often repeated, requiring the subsequent replacement of future damaged components. Such a practice can be both time consuming and expensive.
To combat the traditional “trial and error” prior art approach of fixing vibration sources, a number of complex characterization, computational, and vibration display systems and methods have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,959 (patent '959) discloses a driveline vibration analyzer having a single sensor and single input channel for measuring, analyzing, and characterizing the torsional vibrations in a vehicle driveline. However, traditional vibration analyzers often present the results of the vibration analysis as complex charts and graphs such as signal, order-based frequency displays requiring interpretation by a test engineer or a vibration-trained expert technician.
Additionally, driveline vibration analyzers have traditionally presented the measured vibrations as frequency displays, leaving the analysis of the received information and formulation of a solution to the test engineer or vibration-trained expert technician. Correlation between the sensed vibrations and a damaged component or cause of component damage is not only conceptually difficult but is also time consuming. Further, correlating the received vibration information to a vibration source is subject to misinterpretation by the test engineer or the expert technician, resulting in lost time and potential further damage to vehicle components. Consequently, vehicle manufacturers are continuously working to improve the reliability of vibration analysis systems and the ability of systems and methods to diagnose the root-cause(s) of vehicle vibration.